Ferns complete whitewash
Thank you, come again.
But next time, could you bring a full-strength squad?
Jamaica’s week-long tour of New Zealand came to an inevitable end yesterday in Rotorua, as the Sunshine Girls were beaten for the third test in a row by the Silver Ferns, 66-38.
The Taini Jamison Trophy had already been secured, after the Ferns’ wins in Palmerston North (61-38) and Nelson (72-34) but Jamaica came out intent on redeeming themselves.
And after those two poor showings, what they managed to do early here suggested that with their strongest lineup available, this series could have been a more interesting affair.
Still, Ferns coach Janine Southby believes she has learnt a few things from this week’s clashes, even if they were decided by an average margin of 30.
‘‘The big thing has just been focusing on building connections. We’re still in the really early stages
For us it’s really developing that consistency. Janine Southby
and I think there’s been some really good stuff, particularly defensively – we’ve nailed a few things we were working on through the Quad Series and I think the girls have really got it now and are working together and creating some good ball.
‘‘On attack, at times it looks amazing, and at times it doesn’t, so for us it’s really developing that consistency, and having that innate understanding of each other and that’s still in the early stages. When we get it right, the timing and the vision and the passing is great, we just need to recognise when we need to go to Plan B.’’
The Sunshine Girls held a slender lead for most of the first quarter, which ended with the scores tied 13-13. The Ferns were unable to get away as they had in the past two games because their shooters, Bailey Mes (25/28) and Te Paea Selby-Rickit (18/21) coughed the ball up a few too many times before they even had the chance to shoot.
The midcourt trio of Laura Langman (at wing defence), Shannon Francois (centre) and Grace Rasmussen (wing attack) were combining better than they had in their previous outings this year, suggesting it had been worthwhile for Southby to keep persisting with them as an alternative to the group where Kayla Cullen plays wing defence, Langman moves forward, and Francois moves to the bench.
In the second quarter, the Ferns found their groove, and it was there that the game was put to bed, as pressure on defence and patience on attack helped them win the period 22-7, with a run of nine goals in a row at one point.
With the Sunshine Girls trailing by 15 as the two teams went into the halftime break, the back half of the game was only going to be about two things for the Silver Ferns – how much they could run up the margin, and how much time they could give to some of their reserve players.
The first to come on was Ameliaranne Ekenasio, for Selby-Rickit at goal attack, and she acquitted herself well, finishing the game with 13 goals from 15 attempts.
The Ferns weren’t quite as dominant in the third quarter, but they still extended their lead, reaching a half century just before the buzzer went, which allowed Southby to ring more changes for the final spell, introducing Phoenix Karaka and Maia Wilson as it started, and Storm Purvis towards the end.
While Jamaica ultimately couldn’t get the job done in Rotorua, their valiant first-quarter effort hinted at what might have been had they come with a full-strength side, including their two star shooters, Jhaniele Fowler-Reid and Romelda Aiken, both familiar faces from their work in the ANZ Championship.
The Ferns now have three weeks before the Constellation Cup against Australia starts on October 9 in Sydney.